JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Opinion-Interpol needs EU help to stop abuse By Bruno Min-oct 23,17-euobserver
LONDON, Today, 16:19-The EU is working to prevent the misuse of Interpol, and it should be encouraged to do so.This has been a bountiful year for controversial Interpol Red Notices, which have triggered several high-profile arrests of activists and writers living in exile in the EU in recent months.Red Notices are 'wanted person' alerts that can be used by almost any country in the world to locate and arrest individuals with a view to extradition.It seems that following the arrests of Swedish-Turkish reporter Hamza Yalcin and German-Turkish writer Dogan Akhanli in Spain in August, EU member states have become more acutely aware that Red Notices can be abused by certain governments to harass dissidents living overseas.Following the debate that took place at the European Parliament earlier this month, it would appear that both the EU and its member states are taking more proactive steps to help Interpol to protect itself from abuse.-'Profoundly worrying'-However, this approach has also been described as 'profoundly worrying', supposedly because this undermines Interpol's political neutrality.It seems to have been suggested that, given Interpol's system of checking all Red Notices prior to circulation and its newly improved redress mechanism, the EU's interventions are inappropriate and concerns over the misuse of Interpol's Red Notices should instead be discussed in the relatively closed confines of the Interpol general assembly.Interpol has rules and policies that are intended to strike the right balance of facilitating international cooperation whilst also ensuring that vulnerable individuals are not unfairly targeted in ways that violate their human rights.For example, Interpol has rules that confirm its commitment to act in the spirit of international human rights standards, and to ensure that its activities are not politically motivated in any way.But the main challenge is how these rules are enforced in practice. Does Interpol have systems in place that prevent countries from abusing Red Notices for political purposes and in ways that violate human rights? Is there an effective mechanism that enables individuals to challenge abusive Red Notices? Does Interpol's interpretation of its own rules provide sufficient protections for individuals? These challenges have been highlighted by Fair Trials, a UK-based NGO, since the publication of its report in 2013, which identified how weaknesses in Interpol review mechanisms were allowing Red Notices to be used by repressive states to export human rights violations.It is very encouraging to see that, since the publication of this report, Interpol has responded to these concerns by adopting a number of significant measures to protect its systems from abuse.These include improvements to its system of reviewing Red Notices prior to their dissemination, and the wide-ranging reforms to the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) - Interpol's complaints mechanism.-Work needed-It would be overly optimistic to assume that the mere adoption of these changes will by themselves result in improved protection for individuals, and work needs to be done to ensure that the reforms are implemented effectively.The arrests of Akhanli and Yalcin strongly suggest that whatever the improvements to Interpol's review procedures might be, the system is still far from perfect, and that recognised refugees, journalists, and political activists living in exile are still being targeted through Red Notices that clearly violate Interpol's rules.In some ways, this is unsurprising, given that reviewing Red Notices is clearly a very challenging task for Interpol.Interpol has to review over 11,000 new Red Notices per year, in addition to around 20,000 "diffusions" (which are similar to Red Notices, but less formal).There are also questions about how Interpol identifies abusive Red Notices, and what information it relies on to make its assessments.While the reforms to the CCF appear to bring its procedures closer in line with international standards on due process, it is much too early to tell whether or not they have made the CCF an effective redress mechanism, given that they only came into force in spring this year.By helping Interpol to protect itself from abuse, the EU is only helping Interpol to enforce its own rules, and to implement its reforms effectively.Rather than seeing this as political interference, the EU's offer of assistance to Interpol should be seen as an attempt to make it a more effective international cooperation mechanism by shielding it from political abuse.Interpol needs powerful actors to support its work and its reforms, and the EU can and should provide that positive influence.Bruno Min is a legal and policy officer at Fair Trials, a UK-based NGO.
Italian regions demand autonomy from Rome By Nikolaj Nielsen-oct 23,17-euobserver
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:18-Two of Italy's wealthiest regions voted in favour of greater autonomy in a referendum that is likely to test Rome as Spain grapple's with a Catalan independence movement.In the non-binding referendums on Sunday (22 October), voters in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto demanded more powers from the central government.Neither region is seeking to break away from Italy, but are instead asking for a greater say in the distribution of tax, in a move that is also likely to boost the far-right Northern League party ahead of general elections next year.Presidents of both regions are members of the populist Northern League party, and say over 90 percent voted in favour of greater self-determination.The combined wealth of the two regions hovers around 30 percent of Italy's economic output.Lombardy pays out €54 billion in taxes every year for distribution to other parts of the country, while Veneto pays some €15.5 billion. These sums represent more than the regions receive back - in terms of services from national coffers in Rome.Lombardy's president, Roberto Maroni, told Reuters news agency that unlike Catalonia, which wants to become a new nation state, his region intends to stay anchored within Italy."We remain inside the Italian nation with more autonomy, while Catalonia wants to become the 29th state of the European Union. Not us. Not for now," he said.Veneto's president, Luca Zaia, made similar comments, noting that the vast majority of people in the region are demanding autonomy."What's won is the idea that we should be in charge of our own backyard," he said.Aside from taxes, the two regions under the Northern League also want more say on immigration and security, and on other issues like infrastructure and education.Just over 40 percent of voters went to vote in Lombardy, while some 58 percent turned up in Veneto.Unlike in Spain, where Catalonia's independence vote on 1 October was declared illegal, Italy's constitution does not ban such polls.European Parliament president Antonio Tajani told the Rome daily Il Messaggero, in an interview, that the Lombardy and Veneto referendums were legitimate."These two referendums are legitimate - that was not the case in Catalonia," said Tajani, a centre-right Italian politician.The two regions face a daunting task ahead in their plans to renegotiate powers with Rome, given that some of the demands require constitutional changes.
Report: Catalan leader to address Spanish senate-By EUOBSERVER-oct 23,17
Today, 16:44-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont plans to address the Spanish senate later this week to explain his position on Catalonia's independence, Spanish media reported on Monday. Spanish senators will discuss on Thursday measures proposed by the Spanish government under Article 155 of the constitution to take over the region's administration, with a vote on Friday. The Catalan parliament will meet on Thursday, when separatist parties want to formally declare independence.
UK says its democracy is secure after charge of foreign meddling in Brexit-[Reuters]-yahoonews-October 23, 2017
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's democracy is one of the most secure in the world and will remain so, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday in response to a question about a suggestion that there may have been foreign interference in the Brexit vote.Opposition lawmaker Ben Bradshaw last week urged the government to look into reports by advocacy group Open Democracy suggesting that the origin of some Brexit campaign funds was unclear.Bradshaw said in parliament the issue should be investigated "given the widespread concern over foreign and particularly Russian interference in Western democracies".At a regular briefing with reporters, May's spokesman was asked if the prime minister was concerned about the reports."I am not aware of those concerns," he said."More broadly, as we've always said, the UK democratic system is amongst one of the most secure in the world and will continue to be so."Open Democracy, which describes itself as an independent media platform aiming to challenge power and encourage debate, had raised questions about a large donation to Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which is now propping up Britain's minority Conservative government.Open Democracy said the origin of the money, which was spent on campaigning for Brexit, was unknown.The DUP, who was earlier reported to have said the funds came from "an organisation in England that wants to see the union (between the UK's constituent parts) kept", did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Open Democracy also published a report into the finances of Arron Banks, a businessman who was one of the main financial backers of the Brexit cause. It called for greater clarity on the source of Banks's fortune.In a statement, Banks dismissed Open Democracy's report without addressing it in detail. He suggested Bradshaw's comments came from his inability to come to terms with the Brexit camp's victory in the 2016 referendum."Mr Bradshaw still fails to understand why his side lost, and thus continues to peddle this rather tedious myth of a Russian conspiracy. Sad!" he wrote.The Electoral Commission, which regulates political finance in Britain, said in April it was investigating campaign spending by pro-Brexit organisation Leave.EU, without giving details.A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said on Monday that investigation was still going on and it would not provide any further information until it was complete.(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon and William James; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Greece aims for quick austerity review as bailout end nears-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-October 23, 2017
ATHENS, Greece — Bailout negotiators have returned to Greece to try and reach a deal by the end of the year on the terms for the next loan payout, as the debt-plagued country prepares to end eight years of rescue funding programs next summer.At meetings Monday with finance ministry officials, the envoys from European Union institutions and the International Monetary Fund started discussions on a long list of demanded reforms. They include reducing state control of public utilities and an extensive review of government spending in order to meet high budget surplus targets for 2018 and 2019.Bailout reviews are normally delayed for months as governments push back against demands for austerity. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is keen to conclude the current round of negotiations swiftly to help a smooth return to bond markets.But Athens is already far behind schedule, says Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist at the London-based financial think-tank, OMFIF. She said the key difficulty is the slow implementation of some 95 outstanding reforms Greece had to make."Only around 20 have been implemented so far, which translates into a need of completing more than one per day going forward if they are to be completed by (early December)," she said."It's not just a matter of volume, but also of complexity."Greece made a partial return to debt markets in July and is planning several more auctions before the current bailout ends in August 2018. It's also hoping to be granted more generous repayment terms from bailout lenders as its economy suffers under the weight of a whopping national debt worth some 180 per cent of GDP.Greek bond yields have fallen sharply since the summer, a sign of increased investor confidence, but they remain considerably higher than those of other eurozone members.Tsipras' left-wing government is trailing badly in opinion polls behind opposition conservatives, with more austerity measures already planned over the next two years despite forecasts of a return to economic growth.A government spokesman, Dimitris Tzannakopoulos, said the government would not impose any additional cuts beyond those already agreed upon, adding that Greece remains on course to beat budget targets this year and provide up to a billion euros in additional funding for emergency welfare payments."The money will be given to those who have been most affected by the crisis," he told private Antenna television.___Follow Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos-Derek Gatopoulos, The Associated Press.
Bear attacks woman, conservation officer in Mission, B.C.-[CBC]-yahoonewso-October 22, 2017
A woman and a conservation officer sustained minor injuries after they were attacked by a bear in Mission, B.C., early Sunday morning.Inspector Murray Smith said the woman went outside after she heard her dogs barking shortly after midnight and came face-to-face with a black bear. "The bear jumped into the house, the woman fell over during this approach and the bear jumped on her back and bit her," Smith said.The woman's boyfriend managed to scare the bear away and took the woman to the hospital. She has since been released with minor injuries.Smith said RCMP officers called the Conservation Officer Service to the house on Wren Street, which is near a ravine in a quiet subdivision.When the conservation officer arrived, the sow came down from the tree, where she was sitting with her two cubs, and bit the officer in the leg.Bears killed-The bear was shot. Her two cubs have since been killed as well."From everything the neighbours had said the bears had been around for multiple days and they hadn't left ... they were into garbage in the neighourhood and fruit trees," Smith said."And so the decision was made that all the bears were ... human habituated, which means they have lost their fear of people."Smith said most bears would have run away after the woman opened her door. The fact that this one didn't was a clear indication to the officers that it was a problem bear. Today officers went around the area and reminded residents to pick their fruit trees and put away their garbage.Smith encouraged anyone who sees a bear to call the Conservation Officer Service's RAPP hotline so officers can deal with problem bears sooner, and hopefully prevent incidents like this.
The officer who was bitten has been released from the hospital with minor injuries.
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Keep a 'wary eye' on U.S. travel visas, Goodale tells American counterpart-[CBC]-yahoonews-October 22, 2017
Canada's Public Safety Minister has told his American counterpart to keep a "wary eye" on the travel visas it issues to the United States.In an interview Sunday with CBC News, Goodale said Canadian officials have identified trends where documents issued from certain U.S. embassies and consulates are being misused."We have asked them to go back upstream and examine the pattern of these travel documents being issued and how come the people to whom they were issued appear to have had no intention of staying in the United States, but were simply using the documents as vehicles to get into the United States and then make a beeline for the Canadian border," Goodale explained.While the minister refused to identify diplomatic missions that have been problematic, Nigeria is one place where people obtained visas to visit the U.S. with the intention of heading to Canada.The minister said acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke was very receptive to the suggestion and indicated the U.S. is also looking at putting up signs at irregular crossings on its side of the border with messages to dissuade those seeking asylum in Canada."They're examining what they can do to communicate," Goodale said.In a news release today about the meeting at the G7 summit of interior ministers in Ischia, Italy, the department of homeland security reported Duke and Goodale talked about "joint steps to take to address illegal migration across their shared border."Goodale said he asked Duke to consider alerting Canadian authorities when the U.S. is about to make policy decisions that would affect the border, in order to give agencies such as border services time to prepare.This summer, thousands of Haitians streamed into Quebec at an illegal border crossing after the United States announced it would not extend temporary protected status for Haitians who have lived in that country since the devastating 2010 earthquake.Goodale said G7 ministers also spent a lot of time talking about fighting extremism of all kinds, and how to prepare for the return of citizens who have been fighting in Syria and Iraq."What happens to the foreign fighters, the people who have come from various Western countries to the fight in Syria and Iraq, and now if the battlefield activity is winding down, where do they go and what do they do", he said.Security agencies around the world will have to identify and track those people, Goodale said, and determine the risk they pose as well as preserve evidence of any battlefield crimes before figuring out if and how they could be prosecuted in the future.
Bill 62 protesters ride Metro wearing niqabs, other face coverings-[CBC]-yahoonews-October 22, 2017
Protesters descended into Snowdon Metro station Sunday to denounce Quebec's Bill 62 which requires people to show their faces when they give or receive public services.About 70 people covered their faces before entering the station.Many people wore scarves and surgical masks but Razia Chanda was one of half a dozen women who rode the Metro wearing a niqab — even though she typically doesn't wear one.Her nieces wear the niqab and she felt it was important to show solidarity with them."I want to make sure that they're safe and they're protected," she said.She thinks the bill is a political move that is bullying a group of less than 100 people in Quebec who cover their faces."This handful of women just want to go about their daily lives in a peaceful way, observing their faith," said Chanda.The STM told CBC it would not comment on the protest.The protest was organized on Facebook and appeared to be hosted by Québec Solidaire.However, Québec Solidaire said it was not involved in the event and that it was a grassroots effort by certain individuals.A week of protests-Similar protests took place earlier in the week where people lined up at bus stops with their faces covered.Public transit agencies in Montreal and Laval say they haven't received directives on how to implement the law, leaving them worried that bus drivers will have to make an individual judgment call.The new law applies to many public institutions, including public transit authorities. It was passed Wednesday at the National Assembly in Quebec City.All Quebec ministries will be subject to the law, as will all school boards, universities, public health-care institutions, subsidized daycare centres, municipalities, public transit authorities, and the Montreal region's train agency, the RMT.Several municipalities, including Montreal and Quebec City, have already come out as adamantly opposed to the law.
Israel accuses Hezbollah of Golan shelling to spark war with Syria-[Reuters]-yahoonews-October 23, 2017
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel accused Hezbollah on Monday of orchestrating shelling across the Golan Heights frontier in order to stoke Israeli-Syrian fighting, and called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his big-power ally Russia to curb the Lebanese guerrillas.Twice last week, mortar rounds or rockets launched from Syria hit areas of the Golan that Israel has held since the 1967 Middle East war, causing no casualties but drawing retaliatory artillery fire against Syrian army posts.Israel has largely stayed out of the six-year civil war in the neighboring enemy state, but has threatened to step up strikes if attacked from the Golan or to prevent Assad's Iranian and Hezbollah reinforcements setting up Syrian garrisons.Addressing his parliamentary faction, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the Golan shelling was carried out by a Syrian cell on Hezbollah's orders, without Damascus having been informed.He did not elaborate on the source of the information."There was a personal instruction by (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah to compartmentalise Assad and his regime from the execution of this shooting ... with the goal of dragging us into the Syrian mire," Lieberman said in the televised remarks."Therefore I call here both on the Assad regime ... and also on the Russian forces that are present there, to restrain Hezbollah. And this is another example of why they should be kicked out of Syria as fast as possible."In what appeared to be a reference to Israel's efforts to coordinate its actions in Syria with Moscow, Lieberman said Russian military commanders in Syria "have received all the (information) that they need on this matter".Syria's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, after projectiles fired from Syria drew an Israeli attack on three Syrian artillery guns, that Israeli strikes would have "grave consequences".Israel has also carried out targeted air strikes in Syria during the civil war, alarmed by the expanding influence of Iran. The Israeli air force says it has struck arms convoys of the Syrian military and Hezbollah nearly 100 times in recent years. Israel and Hezbollah last fought a war in 2006.(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Alison Williams)
As Tillerson heads to Pakistan, Islamabad wary of deepening U.S.-India ties-(Reuters]-By Drazen Jorgic-yahoonews-October 23, 2017
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - As U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heads to Pakistan on Tuesday to pressure Islamabad to act over militants targeting Afghanistan from its soil, anxious Pakistanis may be equally interested in dissuading Washington's deepening ties with India.Nuclear-armed Pakistan, a staunch U.S. Cold War ally and key player in the U.S.-backed invasion of Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, has watched warily as Washington has in recent years pivoted towards its arch-foe.Islamabad views its much-bigger neighbor as an existential threat and the two nations have fought three wars since their violent separation at the end of colonial rule in 1947.Tillerson, due to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pakistan's powerful military chiefs in a one-day visit, is expected to urge Pakistan to do more to root out Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants operating on its soil.But he is also expected to hear Pakistani officials warn him that drawing nuclear-armed India deeper into Afghanistan would destabilise the region and do little to end the 16-year war that is now America's longest military conflict."Bringing India into the mix is like adding kerosene to fire," said Miftah Ismail, a state minister and close ally of Prime Minister Abbasi."It's a complete red line. India has no political role to play in Afghanistan as far as we are concerned."Many Pakistanis feel betrayed that its traditional ally is now cosying up to India over Afghanistan.But the anger runs both ways.The United States accuses Pakistan of playing a double game since 2001, offering public backing to Washington while turning a blind eye, or even at times assisting, the Afghan Taliban and other militants who carry out deadly attacks against U.S. forces and their allies in Afghanistan.-LAST CHANCE-Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s as a hedge to Indian influence in Afghanistan, and analysts say its military and security services maintained ties long after the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001.Pakistan denies providing a safe haven for Afghan Taliban and other militant fighters.Tillerson, during a visit to Afghanistan on Monday, said Washington has made some "very specific requests of Pakistan in order for them to take action to undermine the support the Taliban receives and other terrorist organizations receive".U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier this month said the United States would try "one more time" to work with Pakistan in Afghanistan, before opting for more punitive measures. President Donald Trump has vowed to be tougher on Pakistan than his predecessors.The United States has threatened further military aid cuts and U.S. officials have mooted targeted sanctions against Pakistani military figures, but in the past two weeks there have been hints of a slight thawing in ties.U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Tillerson last week called Abbasi to thank Pakistan after its army rescued a U.S.-Canadian couple who were held hostage by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network for nearly five years, along with their three children born in captivity.Relations were further boosted when Omar Khalid Khorasani, leader of the lethal Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) group who Islamabad had been trying to catch for years, was killed by a U.S. drone strike last week.HOSTILE NEIGHBORS-India has increased aid to Afghanistan in recent years and last year promised to ship more arms. Such moves have aggravating fears in Pakistan that it will find itself wedged between two hostile neighbors.Islamabad bristles at the idea that India holds the key to ending the Afghanistan conflict, and fears U.S. meddling could unsettle a delicate balance of power in South Asia."Promoting a higher involvement of India in Afghanistan will only worsen the historic strategic rivalries playing out in the region," said Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's former ambassador to United States and a senior member of the opposition Pakistan People's Party.Pakistan points to the 3.5 million Afghan refugees it hosts as proof that it has more than anyone else to lose from chaos in Afghanistan, and has emphasized the need for greater cooperation and intelligence sharing with United States and Afghanistan.But while Pakistan may not like it, India looks set to continue playing a role in Afghanistan, according to Sushant Sareen, a foreign policy analyst at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a think-tank with ties to the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."The message is very clear that India is an important player when it comes to coordinating policies between Afghanistan and Washington," said Sareen.(Additional reporting by Syed Raza Hassan in KARACHI, Pakistan, and Rupam Nair in NEW DELHI; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Trump to press China on North Korea, trade on Beijing visit-[Reuters]-By Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick-yahoonews-October 23, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions against North Korea and take other steps to pressure Pyongyang when he travels to China next month, a senior White House official said on Monday.Isolating North Korea further is a key goal for Trump on what will be his longest foreign trip to date. His Nov. 3-14 trip will include visits to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.China, Pyongyang’s sole major ally, has said it will strictly enforce U.N. Security Council sanctions banning imports of coal, textiles and seafood, while cutting off oil shipments to the North. China accounts for more than 90 percent of trade with the isolated country.But a senior White House official who briefed reporters ahead of the trip said China needs to do more to comply with two U.N. Security Council resolutions that were approved unanimously, including with China's support."We would like to see China follow through on those commitments. We would like to see China do things bilaterally as well that might even go beyond things that are mandated by those U.N. Security Council resolutions," the official said.Though China has been angered by North Korea’s repeated nuclear and missile tests and demanded they stop, Beijing also sees the United States and South Korea sharing responsibility for rising tensions because of military drills they carry out in the region.Trump is in a standoff with North Korea over its nuclear weapons ambitions and has threatened to "totally destroy" the country.Trump has frequently asked China to help rein in North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but this strategy has so far failed to stop Pyongyang conducting nuclear bomb tests at an underground facility and firing ballistic missile tests into the Pacific Ocean over Japan.The failure to confront and reverse the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea will lead to a "much darker era," the White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. But the official also said Trump is looking for a peaceful resolution of the North Korea standoff.With Xi consolidating power in the wake of a Communist Party congress in Beijing, Trump believes the Chinese president will have a greater authority to take steps against North Korea, senior administration officials said last week.Trump will also be tough on trade during talks with Xi as he seeks to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China, the senior White House official said."We have huge barriers that Americans companies have to surmount to gain access to the Chinese market. The president is intent on rectifying that situation," the official said.(Additional reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)
